The friendship that endures
by NRATQH
Summary: Its well past midnight and the four of them are tired after a day of teaching and spellcasting and screaming themselves hoarse to make sure none of their students get eaten by the giant squid. But when a letter arrives full or rumors and gossip that promises a laugh they all need, they cant help but snuggle by the fire just to enjoy the friendship between them that they all miss


_**This occurs sometime after they've opened Hogwarts and just before everything starts to go wrong. I wanted to write a serious fic but at the same time something simple just about them being friends because you dont get that a lot. So you might have to squint a bit to get the 'serious' factor of it. My version of the four founders are also a tiny bit different than the canon because i just find the canon sounds more like a gossip column than believable historical facts and I just cant accept that Salazar was a coward or evil, Godric and idiot and self righteous fool and Helga a weak pushover or Rowena a mean spirited, airy, big headed bully.**_

_**I just wanted a fic where they were friends who understood and accepted each other for their faults and differences and sure they dont get along all the time but show me friends who never argue or disagree even over the smallest of things and i'll show you a flying pig. Anyway, hope you enjoy and please review =)**_

_**The ones in the bracket are conversations they have in between readings**_

None of them knew how the rumors began only that when it finally reached all of them it came in the form of an anonymous letter filled to the brim with misunderstanding and misinterpretation of miscellaneous information. So much so that despite its incredulous contents they couldn't help but burst out laughing at the ending of the first paragraph.

The truth was, Rowena was the only one among them who had any astonishing measure of good looks about her at all.

To begin the corrections, Salazar was tall and thin that much was true, but no he didn't have pale marble hard features with remarkable perfection **("I AM NOT A VAMPIRE!")** or high cheekbones that complimented his thin lips…

**("Is that supposed to be alluring? They made you sound like a horse! haha..")**

**("Shut up Godric")**

And least of all a brooding persona that spoke much of his 'tragic past'.

**("Thank goodness! At least SOMEONE understands the suffering I've had to endure ever since i've met Godric"**

**("What bloody suffering!" )**

**("Godric, the children!" )**

**("Don't worry Helga, I had the room soundproofed right before we opened the letters. After our last meeting i though a few precautions were necessary, don't you?")**

**("Well I hopped you had the wits about you to ensure the door was bolted as well as the windows charmed to be closed till the end of our session this time")**

**("As if that could have kept out the dragon" )**

**("Says who?" )**

**("Says the hole in the wall that it had made on its way in" )**

**("Yes well, apparently dragons aren't very skilled at opening doors")**

**("It's not funny Salazar" )**

**("Says the badgering Hufflepuff who tickled the beast in the first place" )**

**("I must say that is quite unfair. I was provoked!")**

**("Dearest Helga I would've thought that after 20 years of friendship with Godric your wisdom would at least prevail at the face of his 'unnecessary evil' and I speak from experience after 4 decades of it")**

**("Actually, it was Rowena's idea…."**

**("Traitor!")**

**("I for one would like to get back to the letters don't you?")**

Godric didn't wait for a retort and instead drilled on loudly above it all.

The letter was amusing yes but in all honesty he couldn't help but feel confounded and admittedly troubled at how badly people in their community had misinterpreted many of their habits, behaviors and endeavors (He wasn't even going to start on how frightening it was to find out that they had been under such scrutinized supervision. An unknown enemy was a much more dangerous enemy than a known one, especially if their intentions weren't clear). Salazar had been attacked the most of all four of them and though Godric could understand why, he couldn't help feel infuriated at such ridiculous accusations. Anti muggle sentiments, untrustworthy, cruel and the list goes on.

In truth Salazar was the most passionate of all four of them in their endeavors granted it was not always by the right methods, Godric would go so far as to say that Hogwarts wouldn't even exist without him and no he wouldn't be biased at saying it either. Salazar was a man of unbridled compassion though it was reserved mostly for those he looked upon as family and to an extent his students with everything else taking a back seat, and Godric couldn't help but feel infuriated at times at how people just didn't see that. They see his powers, they realize his potential, what he can do, what he's destined to do. Than they drag him on to the center stage, thrust the lead role into his sweaty hands and proceed to order him about what he needed to do as if they'd been given divine authority on it too. No one paused to give him a breather; no one even asked him what HE thought about it. But the worse crime of all was that no one noticed 'him'.

Something Godric considered to be no small a wrong really because for all his ambition and vision to see and shape the world to become what it could be Salazar h

It almost broke him it did, when they'd met Salazar had half hidden himself away. He looked angry half the time but Godric knew he was just scared. Frightened out of his wits of what he could do, what he could become and he has crawled into a corner of his mind and shut himself off from the world until he wasn't even really there anymore. Just an angry (and overly sarcastic) shell of who he was and barely even a shadow of what he could be. Following orders left and right and always so afraid of following his own dreams and ambition which was what had truly defined him when he had finally managed to break away.

"Tales have also reached us of the gentleness of the lady of the castle, Helga of the hufflepuff house. Though her skills at potion handling do put many to the test, one does wonder what is it with women and perfumes that entice them so and does she really have any other use in her other than being the cook…

**("PERFUMES? COOK! Really this is getting ridiculous")**

**("I agree, anyone who even think's that Helga has even the common sense to use perfume after tending to her plants all afternoon is not to be trusted")**

**("Well she might if she wasn't worried that you might have used up half the fragrant concoctions I've given her on your own experiments in that dungeon of yours….")**

**("My dear Rowena, if I had even an inkling of interest at using anyone else's 'concoctions' believe me I wouldn't take yours")**

**("And what is that suppose to...")**

**("Godric please tell Salazar to apologize before I see it fit to lock both of them in the stables")**

**("We don't have a stable, we haven't gotten around to fixing it since the threstrals...")**

**("GODRIC!")**

**("Right... one more word from you Salazar and I'll tell Rowena what you've been putting in her dresses for that experiment of yours")**

**("You wouldn't!")**

**("WHAT!")**

**("For goodness sakes, here give me that Letter I'll read it")**

Helga didn't wait for an answer either before the snatched the parchment from between Godric's finger to hold it far out of his reach for her to read

"Enough of me, let's see... what does it say about... Rowena, the disinherited duchess of the house of Longbourne is more familiarly known for her married name Ravenclaw though with no husband in sight and a daughter in tow one might wonder the gossip that surrounds her ladyship..."

**("If they bring Helena into this, so help me...")**

**("They wouldn't dare")**

**("Calm down the both of you, Godric we know you'll jinx anyone who comes within 10 feet of the little princess of yours. If she weren't far wittier than you could ever be I'd swear she's becoming more like you every day which is strange enough seeing as you're not even related. Ro, you haven't protected her all these years just so she could be critisized by a bunch of muggles who wouldnt know the right end of a wand if it was shot in their face. So calm down, we'll settle this, together. Alright?")**

Having put as much weight as he thought was needed on the word 'Together', Salazar gave her a reassuring though stiff nod before gesturing to Helga to continue. But to her credit she decided to skip the whole passage concerning her best friend to move on to what she hopped would be a less complicated part of deceitful letter.

"Last but absolutely not least is Master Gryffindor of the Hollows of Praedium…"

**("Fancy word for 'Farm'")**

**("Well its better than being called Slytherine of Domus. Rhymes with morus. Haha…")**

Godric reached out for the letter.

**("Domus Serpens mind you. Are you reading the letter to yourself Godric?!")**

**("well I've never been a patient man and since this company cannot keep itself composed for more than 3 seconds…")**

**("Well since you've mentioned it, between us four I for one thought we would replace the Latin lessons for runes this semester")**

**("Such an offhanded comment my dear Rowena, I wonder if you truly wish for it.")**

**("You know I do Sal. You know my insights on the matter. Imagine being able to open the minds of our students to possibilities far beyond what can be considered..")**

**("Or the lives we could ruin. The old religion was abandoned for a reason. You connect one dot you connect them all. It's much too dangerous an endeavor to make. We cannot teach a language we are not prepared to fully allow our students to understand")**

**("Than we are teaching them to fail. For them to truly comprehend and control magic they need to understand its origins")**

**("Our task is to merely tech them the basis of its control…")**

**("Than what happens when they encounter it in the outside world? Without our filters and correct interpretations, left to their own devices what then?")**

**("It's not like maleficent didn't have a good teacher herself when she encountered the secrets of the old religion…")**

**("Maleficent was crazed in her desire for control and power. Have some faith in our students. Have some faith in our abilities to understand them")**

**("We are not immortal. What happens when we're dead and gone? More people have died in past centuries over lesser legacies thought to be of use for those left behind by their predecessors")**

Their argument was not in hushed nor whispered tones anymore. They both stared each other down, mentally preparing their retorts and replies both ignored by Helga and Godric.

Despite their intellectual similarities between Salazar and Rowena, the differences in personality and belief between them had set fire to more than one argument in that castle and even more on their adventures. Rowena being the lover of knowledge and open mind that she was, desired more for her students than mere basis of practical use of magic. Salazar being the ambitious man, wanted to play it safe and not push the bar any higher until they were sure it can be pushed. In many ways they were both right but being the stubborn pig headed individuals they were, listening to each other and forming a compromise seemed out of the question and in the heat of the moment both of them did not realize that Godric had left the room. Helga was scanning the last page of the letter with wide eyes and brows furrowed in a concerned frown.

"Oh dear…. "

"Why? What is it?" Salazar took the letter from Helga and held it at arm's length for both Rowena and himself to read.

When her eyes finally finished the page for the third time, Rowena let out a tired sight "It seems the man who bore us this letter truly knew nothing but lies of our adventures"

"Assuming that he is only informing us about the opinions of the people I fear what is not spoken in the letter. I fear that this writer knows more of what had truly happened than we think and is rubbing it in our faces with this. If not why see it so important to inform us of this? Does he think it will affect us? Words of the rabble have never done us any harm especially among the muggle folk"

"Yes but imagine the uneasiness it can stir among them. Misunderstandings have always been fuel for rage and acts of cruelty. These rumors were not started by just anyone. Besides, this won't just effect the muggle folk. They outnumber us by far. It's bound to get through to the magical crowd. To be honest, I think it's more likely it was the other way around" said Helga

All three of them exchanged apprehensive looks.

Salazar passed the letter into Rowena's waiting hands, "If that's true than this might be worse than we thought"

"What I don't understand is why warn us?" inquired Rowena as she reread the letter.

Helga glanced outside her window. "We might have to discuss that later. But first things first, Salazar, you should make sure Godric will be well enough for class. If not I have a free slot around noon, I can take his classes than"

Salazar gives her a nod as thanks but says nothing else as he leaves the room. The words from the last paragraph mulling in his head. It was one thing to be accused of sentiments that have not brought harm to anyone but himself. But to be hailed a hero of tragedy that caused the death of thousands when you considered them to be by your hands was not a light matter. The letter had not just claimed Godric a hero, it had made Salazar the villain or co-conspirator and Helga and Rowena mere maidens in distress. If there was anything Godric despised it was a false hero and to be made into one when he saw himself as the main cause of the problem was something Godric would loathe with every fiber of his being.

"Its so strange" said Rowena looking confused.

"What is?"

"Knowing Godric, I would've expected him to just laugh it off or play the stubborn thick skinned idiot he assumes we all think he is. Walking out is sort of the last thing I expected him to do"

Helga didn't know what to say so she kept her silence for a moment before answering with a small smile.

"I'm sure he left mainly to shut both your bickering out. I mean, honestly Ro, for someone who supposedly leads the house of wit and wisdom I would've expected you to be more tactical about when to make your arguments"

Rowena groaned and threw up her hands in exasperation. "It's not like its easy trying to get all four of you to listen to my suggestions"

"That's because most of the time you have to admit they're a bit too exuberant to really put in practice in the first place" Helga grimaced apologetically at her best friend before walking to the door.

"Oh, but Helga you must help me make them listen to this one. It's quite brilliant actually. You do agree with though don't you? Helga!"

Helga's retort was unknown for she had fled the room with Rowena at her heels. The door swinging against the wall with Golden rays of sunlight that had begun to peek behind the curtains of the window spilling into the hall. The letter left folded neatly on the table.

Though the day would start and laughter would fill the halls along with the sound rustling cloaks and tired feet and the letter would be forgotten for the time because though brilliant as the four founders were, none of them realized that the motions of the beginning of an end had just begun.


End file.
